Marie Ferrarella - Becoming a Cavanaugh стр 2.

I was, the lieutenant replied. I believe my exact words were, You can go it alone until I can find you another partner. And I did. He gestured toward the young woman in the other chair. Detective Rosetti, he emphasized.

Kyle kept his unfathomable eyes on the lieutenant. Its only been a week.

Barone inclined his head. So it has. I didnt want you to get too used to being on your own. You need someone to watch your back. There was no arguing with the lieutenants tone. Rosettis a transfer from the Oakland PD. As luck would have it, shes from the homicide division, so there wont be a breaking-in period. He ended with a smile aimed at the young woman.

As luck would have it, Kyle murmured under his breath.

Right now, he wasnt feeling particularly lucky. Just the opposite. He didnt have the time or the inclination to babysit a novice, no matter what Barone claimed. The woman couldnt possibly be a seasoned detective. Not with that face.

A glimmer of Barones temper surfaced. He tolerated a little

stubbornness, but only for so long. Look, its not as if were some bed-and-breakfast township where arguments are resolved by going, rock, paper, scissors. People have hot tempers here and they kill each other. We need all the good menand women, Barone amended, nodding his head at the new detective by way of a semi-apology for his near oversight, we can get. Am I right? he asked Kyle.

He knew there was no fighting this. Yes, sir, youre always right.

Barone nodded his head. Good of you to remember that. All right, Ill leave it up to you to show Detective Rosetti her desk and introduce her around to the others. Barone was already turning his attention to the next matter on his desk.

Right. Kyle eyed his superior. Is that all, sir?

There was humor in the brown eyes when they looked up at Kyle. For now, the lieutenant allowed.

Kyle turned on his heel and walked out. By the rustling noise behind him, he knew that his new albatross was shadowing his tracks.

Its Jaren, he heard her call after him.

Kyle stopped, and turned around. The woman stopped an inch short of colliding into him. Whats Jaren?

My first name, she told him cheerfully. You didnt ask.

No, I didnt.

Because he didnt care. Hed been working with Castle for three months before he learned the mans first name. Things like that werent necessary to do a good job. He wasnt looking for a relationship or a friendship, he was just looking to execute his job to the best of his abilities. Knowing her first name didnt figure into that.

Looking just a little at a loss as to how to read him, Jaren said, So, now you know.

Now I know, he echoed, his voice utterly emotionless.

Her eyes met his. He could swear he saw a bevy of questions forming and multiplying. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope as it rolled down a hill. Can I know yours?

Several retorts came to his lips and then slipped away. It wasnt her fault that hed been saddled with her, he argued. Wasnt her fault that his mother had lied to him, and then chosen not to go to her grave with the secret that he and his siblings were bastards, fathered by a man who didnt care enough to form any sort of relationship with them, or their mother. Wasnt even her fault that his partner had left the force, leaving him exposed for just this sort of thing.

But damn, the perky little blonde was the only one here and he had no place else at the moment to discharge his temper.

Its Kyle, he finally said. LookRosetti is it? Her eyes still holding his, she nodded. Youd better know this up front. Ive got my own way of getting things done.

Her smile was more amused than anything else. Why did that annoy him?

I kind of figured that out. Dont worry, I wont get in your way, Kyle, she promised, her voice so cheerful it instantly grated on his nerves. Im just here to do my job, same as you.

He sincerely doubted that. Rosetti didnt suddenly have a name to live up to, didnt have to prove that she was every bit as good as the others who legitimately bore the name of Cavanaugh. He was no ones poor relation and the only way he could show his newfound family that he was just as good as they were was by being faster, better, smarter than all of them.

Hell of a tall order considering that the other Cavanaughs on the forcepractically an army of themwere all top-notch cops, every last one of them. Still, he swore in his heart he was more than up to the challenge.

He and his brother and sister were up to the challenge, Kyle amended. Sometimes he tended to forget that he didnt need to feel as if he was the leader of the group. Just because hed been born a full five minutes first didnt mean that he was the big brother. Hed always felt as if he was the protective one, the one who had to take care of everything for his siblings and his widowed mother.

Widowed. What a crock, he silently jeered, his heart hurting even as he did so.

Why the hell didnt you trust us enough to tell us the truth when we were kids, Ma? Why build up a legend for a man who never even existed? Was it to make us feel better? Or did you make up those lies to make yourself feel better?